Mechanic Rocky Review

What would you call a movie that lulls you into frustration before the interval, only to later sweep you off your feet with stunning twists and cinematic brilliance? Mechanic Rocky begins on a slippery slope of mediocrity but crescendos into a thrilling roller coaster, leaving you unwilling to even glance at your phone for fear of missing a moment.

Nagumomu Rakesh aka Rocky (Vishwak Sen) is a scrappy mechanic who runs a garage-cum-driving school with his father (Naresh). Life takes a sharp turn when a local don (Sunil) sets his sights on their land, and uses corrupt cops and officials to seize it. Desperate, Rocky pleads for time to raise Rs 40 lakh to reclaim his plot. Tragedy strikes with his father's untimely death, but hope flickers when an insurance agent Maya (Shraddha Srinath) informs Rocky about a Rs 2 crore policy of his father. The catch? Rocky isn't the nominee. What follows is a gripping journey into the labyrinth of secrets surrounding the policy, where every revelation flips the narrative on its head.

The first half of Mechanic Rocky feels like a car engine sputtering to life. It meanders with stale comedy, a formulaic love story, and flashbacks that seem to stretch forever. Two redundant songs only add to the monotony. As the minutes tick by, you wonder if this movie is a road to nowhere. But just when your patience runs thin, the last 20 minutes before the interval drop breadcrumbs hinting at something much bigger.

Post-interval, the film shifts gears entirely, transforming into a taut thriller that tackles the timely issue of cyber scams. Like a mechanic assembling a dismantled engine, debutant director Ravi Teja Mullapudi ties up the loose threads, delivering a second half so tight and twisty it's almost a different movie. Borrowing elements from films like Vikram Vedha, a standout sequence involves Rocky piecing together the web of betrayal surrounding his father's policy, a mind-map that's as logically sound as it is gripping.

The characters reveal layers that keep the audience guessing. The cop isn't a cop, the land-grabber isn't the villain and Maya isn't the saint she appears to be. By the climax, the film cleverly flips its own premise, making you question who's really pulling the strings.

Vishwak Sen delivers a knockout performance, embodying Rocky with a mix of mass appeal and vulnerability. His emotional depth during moments of helplessness is particularly striking, proving he's bounced back after Gangs Of Godavari. Sunil impresses as a chameleon-like don, while Shraddha Srinath steals the show with a performance that oscillates seamlessly between warmth and menace. Meenakshi Chaudhary brings charm and grace as the girl-next-door love interest, lending emotional weight to the first half.

MTV Roadies alum Raghu Ram is effective as a faux cop, and Viva Harsha, though underutilized, does leave his mark.

Technically, the movie shines. The cinematography immerses you in the gritty locales, while the background score amplifies the tension in pivotal moments. Even the songs - though misplaced in the narrative - are visual and aural treats if considered independently. With sharper editing, especially 40 minutes trimmed from the 156-minute runtime, the film could have been a maze of a thriller puzzle.

Indeed, Mechanic Rocky is like a slow-cooking stew. The first half tests your patience, much like watching a mechanic fumble with your car for hours. But once the story gathers steam, it delivers a feast worth savouring. If you can brave the sluggish start, this thriller will grip you with its clever twists and layered performances, proving that sometimes good things do come to those who wait. When Mechanic Rocky finally rocks, it rut-fut-tuts like a Yezdi smoking to speed, and is worth every second.